Category Archives: Fun

15 English Words You Will Only Hear in Japan

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

English is something of an international language, and so it tends to make out with a lot of native tongues. In Japan, I hear a lot of English phrases scattered into otherwise Japanese conversations. Most of them, however, make no … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, language, Weird | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

My Dragon Week: On Being Bored in Japan

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

Wherever you go, there you are.

Posted in Culture Shock, Fun, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

On Japanese Cats

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

This week: Japan, in five cats.

Posted in Fun, Shrines, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

On Being Cute in Japan

Posted on November 30, 2011 by

“Battle not with Hello Kitty lest ye become Hello Kitty; and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you with huge eyes and a helpless disposition.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted in Fun, Tradition, Uncategorized, Weird | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

9 More Foods to Try (Or Try to Avoid) in Japan

Posted on November 21, 2011 by

A few weeks ago, the fellows at Nihongoup, the online Japanese-language community, invited me to do a guest post. I went to my default Japanese conversation tactic: I started spewing out the names of foods I like. So I’ve got … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Fun, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Singing Karaoke with Foucault

Posted on November 16, 2011 by

“In civilizations without boats, dreams dry up, espionage takes the place of adventure, and the police take the place of pirates.” – Michel Foucault, Of Other Spaces If there was a ship to escape Japanese culture in, the paint on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Thinking, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment